Ten of the 32 people from 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh who went missing after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal are safe and on their way home, while 22 remain untraceable, according to the Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner’s office.
Among the 32, 13 were tourists and 19 were in Nepal for business or other work.
The maximum number of missing people are from Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kanpur Nagar and Ballia (four each), followed by Kushinagar, Hardoi and Lucknow (two each). One missing person each is from Varanasi, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Bahraich, Sitapur, Azamgarh and Siddharthnagar districts.
Among the 10 people who have been traced, two are from Gorakhpur and one each is from Maharajganj, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh and Aligarh.
After the devastating flash floods, the UP Relief Commissioner’s Office launched a helpline—1070—for Uttar Pradesh residents stranded in Nepal as well as for those needing assistance or wishing to contact family members. Family members of missing people contacted the helpline and submitted their details.
Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, UP relief commissioner, said the state government contacted the Nepal government, the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi, and the Indian Embassy in Nepal to locate and assist the stranded people from UP.
{{/usCountry}}Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, UP relief commissioner, said the state government contacted the Nepal government, the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi, and the Indian Embassy in Nepal to locate and assist the stranded people from UP.
{{/usCountry}}“The UP government has collected details of the missing persons from its own resources. We are awaiting a response and details of the missing from the Nepal government,” he said.
Shamsher Singh, a Sitapur resident, was working at a hydro power plant in Trishuli. Papinder Singh and Rishipal Singh, residents of Hardoi, as well as Karan Sharma from Maharajganj district were also working in Trishuli, which was devastated by the flash flood.
Jai Prakash, a resident of Maharajganj who works in the medical field, was in Tirchiwi Bazar. Abdullah, also a resident of Maharajganj, was working in Rasuwa. Both areas were badly affected by the flash flood. Shamsher Singh, Papinder Singh, Rishipal Singh, Jai Prakash and Abdullah are among those still missing.
A state government spokesperson said the Uttar Pradesh government has expedited efforts to trace missing people in Nepal.
“The government’s entire focus is on safely evacuating stranded citizens and ensuring immediate assistance reaches those in need. The situation in Nepal is being continuously monitored,” the spokesperson added.
Addressing a public meeting in Bahraich on Monday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said hundreds of people from Nepal, India and several other countries became victims of a natural disaster.
“I express my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and assure the people of Nepal that we will all move forward together in times of happiness and sorrow. The central government took prompt decisions and steps to assist Nepal, a friendly neighbouring country. We do not have merely a political relationship, but also a shared cultural heritage,” he said.